Bill Emerson is retiring as president of Rocket Companies but will remain as a director, the company disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
“After more than three decades at Rocket, Bill Emerson will step down as president at the end of the year,” a Rocket spokesperson told HousingWire. “Bill is a champion of our culture and ISMs, helping shape the values that guide us. He also led the hiring of our current CEO, ensuring a thoughtful, seamless transition. We’re deeply grateful for his impact and the legacy he continues to build.”
The Rocket spokesperson said no one will assume the title of president at this time.
Emerson’s retirement adds to a series of leadership changes at the Detroit-based company over the past two years, including the departures of CEO Jay Farner in June 2023 and president Tim Birkmeier in March 2024.
Emerson, who joined Rocket 32 years ago, served as CEO from 2002 to 2017, guiding the company through a period of massive growth. He also briefly returned as interim CEO between June and September 2023, before Varun Krishna — a fintech veteran with prior leadership roles at Intuit and PayPal — was named CEO. Emerson then transitioned into the role of president.
He also previously served as vice chairman of Rock Holdings Inc. and held leadership roles at Bedrock.
The announcement comes as Rocket Companies, parent of Rocket Mortgage, has returned to profitability. In the second quarter of 2025, Rocket posted $34 million in GAAP net income and $29 billion in mortgage production, up from $21.5 billion in the first quarter.
The company is also integrating its recent acquisition of Redfin and preparing to close its planned acquisition of Mr. Cooper in the fourth quarter of 2025.
English